Local pubs try to cash in on Olympics, despite time difference

If the Winter Games make you thirsty, you’re in luck

Jim Kerr is Venture Publishing's Associate Director of Digital Initiatives. Get in touch with him at jkerr@albertaventure.com.

Feb 13, 2014

by Jim Kerr

Canada is rolling along at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, and local bar owners are hoping to feed off that success.

The Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission has been busy lately, approving almost 30 requests from licensed establishments to open early during the Olympics. That’s despite the 11-hour time difference between Alberta and Sochi.

Hoping to catch some Olympic hockey over a cold beer? Canada’s men faced off against Norway on Thursday and will battle Austria on Friday and Finland on Sunday – all of those games are 10 a.m. MST starts, with liquor and food service starting as early as 8 a.m. The Canadian women are through to the quarterfinals in their tournament, however those games are taking place very early on Saturday morning.

Should Canada make the final of the men’s tournament, you’ll have to stay home if you plan on drinking beer, since it’s a 5 a.m. start. The AGLC is allowing some establishments to open as early as 4:30 that day, but you’ll still have to wait a few hours to order any of the hard stuff.

Is your office doing anything special for the Olympics? Snap a picture and send it to jkerr@albertaventure.com for a chance to be featured in a future blog post.